Spatially coordinated changes in intracellular rheology and extracellular force exertion during mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.

ABSTRACT: The mechanical properties within the cell are regulated by the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, which is linked to the extracellular environment through focal adhesion proteins that transmit force. Chemical and mechanical stimuli alter the organization of cytoskeletal actin, which results in changes in cell shape, adhesion, and differentiation. By combining particle-tracking microrheology and traction force cytometry, we can monitor the mechanical properties of the actin meshwork and determine how changes in the intracellular network contribute to force generation. In this study, we investigated the effects of chemical (differentiation factors) and mechanical (substrate rigidity) stimuli important in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation on the intracellular mechanics and trac

SUBMITTER: McAndrews KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4162422 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature